multipulepersonality.jpgMultiple Personality Disorder

(Also known as Dissociative Identity Disorder or DID)

What is Multiple Personality Disorder?
MPD is a personality disorder in which a person has two or more distinct identities that surface regularly, control the person's actions, and know little about the other identities; the identities are in conflict with one another. It is considered on of the dissociative disorders because the individual becomes detached, or dissociated with reality.


Causes of Multiple Personality Disorder:
While there has been no proven cause specific cause of this disorder, the standing theory is that DID is the reaction an individual has to childhood trauma. It is thought that the child tries to disassociate with those memories, when this reaction becomes extreme, DID occurs.

Having a family member with this disorder means that you have an increased vulnerability to the disorder, but does not mean that it is necessarily hereditary. DID is nine times more common in females than it is in males.

Symptoms 250px-Vincent_Willem_van_Gogh_002.jpg

along with multiple or split personalities:
  • Depression
  • Mood swings
  • suicidal tendencies
  • sleep disorders
  • Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias
  • Alcohol and drug abuse
  • Compulsions and rituals
  • Psychotic-like symptoms (hallucinations
  • Eating disorders


Treatments
Psychotherapy: main treatment for this disease
Hypnosis: aids the psychotherapy
Medications: address depression, severe anxiety, anger, and impulse control
Electroconvulsive therapy: to treat depression that goes along with the disease


Public Perception:
The public thinks that people with multiple personality disorder are unable to control themselves, they have violent tendencies, and their personalities differ extremely, none of which are necessarily true for all people with MPD.

Links

Sources:brain.jpg
  1. American Medical Association Complete Medical Encyclopedia
  2. www.webmd.com
  3. www.medicinenet.com
  4. Diseases and Disorders Vol. 2
  5. Image found at www.wikipedia.org